As a health reporter who covers consumer watchdog issues for the Tribune, I grew curious recently after receiving back-to-back e-mails from two hospitals announcing that they had started using an online reservation service for their emergency rooms.

Specifically, I wanted to know how widespread a trend it might be and what such a trend would mean for consumers.

For a business reporter who covers the health care industry, meanwhile, any movement in health care almost always seems to lead to a business-related motive. Such was the case in Sunday’s story about hospitals trying to lure more patients into their emergency rooms by posting wait times or and allowing appointments.

We had noticed an increasing number of hospitals in Chicago and elsewhere had decided to post ER wait times for the public. It seemed like an interesting development that Tribune readers would want to know more about.

So we teamed up to find out more. I wanted to know about the benefits and downsides for patients, while Peter Frost focused on why hospitals had decided to offer such services.

Our story in Sunday’s paper is an attempt to look at various sides of the trend -- from the perspective of hospitals, patients and experts. We found that online reservation services and publicly posted wait times are a great convenience for patients; they also are a way for hospitals to attract patients and boost income during challenging times for the industry.

Strong business motives mean consumers can expect to see more hospitals make similar moves over the next couple of years as the way health care is delivered and paid for continues a transformation.

Also with consumers in mind -- while additionally addressing a concern raised by some of the experts we interviewed -- we put together a list of symptoms and conditions that should prompt patients to seek immediate care, instead of waiting.

And we compiled a list of hospitals in the area that either post their wait times or allow patients to check-in on the Internet.

There's a compelling reason to have a strong interest in emergency medicine: Most of us will land in an ER at some point, either for ourselves or with someone we care about.

It’s a fascinating time to cover the business of health care. And this was an intriguing story to report. We hope readers will find it both interesting and useful.